Valley Health Hosts Successful Pediatric Mental Health Training in Winchester

Valley Health, in collaboration with The REACH Institute, successfully hosted a comprehensive training program for pediatric mental health at The George Washington Hotel in Winchester on August 22, 23, and 24. This training aimed to equip clinicians with essential tools to diagnose and treat mental health conditions commonly encountered in pediatric and family practice settings.

The training, fully funded for all providers, saw enthusiastic participation from Valley Health and community providers. Attendees praised the program for significantly enhancing their knowledge and skills in assessing and treating pediatric mental health issues. Sierra Cuppett, PA, specializing in family medicine, said it’s the most valuable CME/training she’s ever taken.

“This training is a crucial step in enhancing the mental health care we provide to our pediatric patients,” Karen Dorr, DNP, RN-BC, CARN, Senior Director of Behavioral Health Services at Valley Health. “By equipping our primary care providers with these essential skills, we are ensuring that children and adolescents in our community receive the comprehensive care they need.”

Building on the success of the initial training held in March, this session continued to receive high recommendations from participants. The REACH Institute’s Patient-Centered Mental Health in Pediatric Primary Care (PPP) Program has transformed the practices of over 4,000 primary care clinicians, enabling them to deliver timely and effective mental health services to children and families.

Topics covered in the pediatric training included:

• Pediatric psychopharmacology
• Assessment tools for mental health conditions
• Anxiety disorders: assessment and treatment
• Depression: assessment and treatment
• Managing suicidality in pediatric patients
• Pediatric bipolar disorder
• ADHD: assessment and treatment
• Aggression: assessment and treatment
• Psychosis management
• Coding for billing and next steps for practice integration

In addition to the in-person pediatric training, an online adult module was also made available. This self-paced series covers common adult mental health concerns, including anxiety, ADHD, depression, and substance use, and offers 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ upon completion.